Squad news

GUARDADO DEBUTS IN THE WORLD CUP

12 Jun 2010Andres Guardado was only a substitute in the opening game of Mexico in South Africa 2010; Depor’s winger entered in the second part and assisted for the goal of Marquez. The result was considered as a negative one in Mexico.

Not the best debut of Mexico in the FIFA World Cup 2010, because the North American country was hoping to clinch its first victory ahead of the tough confrontations against France and Uruguay, instead it only picked a draw against the host of the tournament.

Coach Javier Aguirre chose to play with a 4-3-3 scheme, the movement of Rafael Marquez to midfield forced the coach to present modifications in attack, and it’s that Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos joined Guillermo Santos in the line of attackers; therefore Andres Guardado was a substitute.

Mexico dominated the first half, but was unable to concrete its chances; Guardado entered at minute 56 to replace Paul Aguilar, just seconds after South Africa took the lead in the scoresheet. The winger made a decent job and was the one that took the free-kick that meant the final equalizer scored by Barcelona’s Rafa Marquez.

Mexican website Mediotiempo qualified the performance of Guardado with seven points (Only Marquez and Giovani had a better valorization, 8). The source also wrote that he “entered in a complicate, confusing and disordered moment of the game, he tried to bring some coherency, but it wasn’t brilliant at all and ended contagious with the same pace of 'living or dying' that almost cost the game.” On next Thursday Mexico will be facing France in Polokwane.